Celes vs. Vivi - Duel Commander - EDH│MTG│bitzelberg

Deck Strategies

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  Celes, Rune Knight

  A Mardu reanimator deck that aims to quickly bring back impactful creatures from the graveyard to apply pressure and control the board, often using spells like Necromancy to maintain tempo and threaten lethal swings.

• 

  Vivi Ornitier

  A control-oriented deck that leverages Vivi's ability to generate card advantage through Curiosity and protection via counter magic and effects like Cloud of Dominoes, aiming to stabilize the board and win through incremental damage and attrition.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Protecting Vivi Ornitier was crucial for maintaining card advantage and control; the use of counter magic and bounce effects like Cloud of Dominoes played a pivotal role.

• 2

  Celes's ability to repeatedly reanimate creatures and generate tokens kept continuous pressure on Vivi, forcing difficult decisions about blocking and removal.

• 3

  Timing the use of Necromancy and leveraging Snapcaster Mage for additional spell recursion was a key tactical element for Celes in sustaining board presence.

• 4

  Vivi's early attachment of Curiosity to her commander was a strategic move to maximize card draw, but it required careful protection to avoid losing momentum.

• 5

  The interaction between token generation and removal spells created multiple board states where both players had to carefully manage resources to avoid being overwhelmed.

Notable Cards

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  Necromancy

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  Curiosity

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  Snapcaster Mage

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  Arcane Signet

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  Mana Leak

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  Chain Lightning

Summary

The game began with Celes setting up a reanimator strategy focused on bringing back powerful creatures while Vivi established a control-oriented board state centered around her namesake commander, Vivi Ornitier. Early turns saw careful land plays and the development of mana resources, with Celes using spells like Necromancy and reanimation effects to maintain pressure. Vivi, on the other hand, cast her commander and attached a Curiosity to it to generate card advantage, supported by counterspells and tempo plays to protect her board presence. Key moments included Vivi's ability to protect her commander with counter magic and Cloud of Dominoes effects while chipping away with pings and tokens. Celes attempted to push through with reanimated threats and aggressive attacks, leveraging utility creatures and spells to disrupt Vivi's plans. The game showcased a tense balance between Celes's reanimation and aggression versus Vivi's control and card draw engines. The win condition for Celes revolved around overwhelming with reanimated creatures and token pressure, whereas Vivi aimed to lock down the board, protect her commander, and incrementally win through card advantage and commander damage.